Custer County lies in west-central Oklahoma, where the I-40 corridor links Clinton and Weatherford across the southern part of the county while U.S. 183 runs north through Arapaho toward Custer City. The county may look broadly open on a road map, but the terrain and water layers reveal a more varied landscape: the Washita River crosses the south, Foss Reservoir reaches the southwest edge, the Canadian River touches the northeast, and higher dissected ground dominates much of the west and northwest. The map files on this page can be viewed online and downloaded as high-resolution JPGs in a ZIP archive for printing, classroom use, presentations, or general geographic reference.
A practical way to orient yourself is to start with Clinton and Weatherford. Clinton sits where I-40 meets U.S. 183, while Weatherford lies farther east along I-40 near State Highway 54. Arapaho, the county seat, is a short distance north of Clinton on U.S. 183, and Custer City lies farther north. Thomas occupies the northeast and Butler the west. These places form a useful framework for understanding how roads, river valleys, and higher terrain are arranged across the county.
Table of Contents
Weatherford and Clinton anchor the southern side of the county
The boundary and road map makes the southern urban corridor immediately clear. I-40 crosses the county from west to east and passes through Clinton before continuing toward Weatherford. At Clinton, U.S. 183 turns north through the middle of the county, providing a simple line for finding Arapaho and Custer City. Weatherford sits close to the eastern boundary, so it serves as a useful reference point for the Blaine and Caddo County side of Custer County.
Neighboring counties help define the wider setting. Dewey County is to the north, Blaine and Caddo counties lie to the east, Washita County is to the south, and Beckham and Roger Mills counties are to the west. The outline is not a perfect rectangle, with several offsets along the edges. Reading the boundary together with the labeled highways makes it easier to see why Butler feels distinctly western, Thomas northeastern, and Weatherford southeastern even though all are within the same county.
Arapaho is especially important because it is the county seat, even though it is smaller than Weatherford and Clinton. The Oklahoma Historical Society records that the area was organized as G County during the 1892 Cheyenne-Arapaho Opening, with Arapaho designated as the county seat. The county received the Custer name in 1896. That administrative history explains why the courthouse location and the largest population centers are not the same place.
I-40 and U.S. 183 provide two simple navigation axes
For east-west orientation, I-40 is the clearest feature on the map. It links Clinton and Weatherford and continues beyond the county toward Foss and Canute on the west and Hydro on the east. The map is not a substitute for live navigation, but the interstate gives readers an immediate sense of where the major southern communities sit relative to one another. It also helps separate the more populated southern corridor from the smaller towns farther north and west.
U.S. 183 supplies the north-south reference. From Clinton it passes Arapaho, continues toward Custer City, and reaches the northern boundary. State Highway 33 connects the Thomas area with the central portion of the county, State Highway 44 is prominent near Butler, and State Highway 54 runs south from Weatherford. Smaller state routes such as 34, 47, and 73 appear along the outer parts of the map and provide additional local orientation without overwhelming the countywide view.
The modern pattern has historical roots. Oklahoma Historical Society accounts describe Clinton as a community that grew around early twentieth-century railroad crossings, while Weatherford expanded after rail service reached the town in 1898. Route 66 later passed through both places. I-40 follows a modern transportation system rather than duplicating the historic road at every point, yet the continuing importance of the east-west corridor helps explain why Clinton and Weatherford remain the most visually prominent communities on the county map.
The city index shows a strong southern pair and smaller northern centers
The city distribution map highlights six major communities. Its printed index ranks Weatherford first and Clinton second, followed by Thomas, Arapaho, Custer City, and Butler. The figures on the map are part of the dataset used to build this edition; they should not be treated as a live population feed. The map is most useful for comparing position and relative prominence rather than replacing current Census estimates or municipal records.
Weatherford and Clinton both occupy the southern part of the county, but they are separated enough to form two distinct reference points along I-40. Arapaho lies just north of Clinton, with Custer City farther up the U.S. 183 corridor. Thomas is set apart in the northeast, while Butler is well to the west. This arrangement makes the county less centered on a single city than a quick glance at the largest population label might suggest.
The surrounding county labels add context to that distribution. Weatherford sits near the Blaine and Caddo County side, Thomas is south of Dewey County, and Butler is much closer to Roger Mills County than to Weatherford. These relationships are useful in a classroom map, local history presentation, or travel overview because they show how the towns are spread across a broad west-central Oklahoma county rather than clustered in one compact metropolitan area.
The Washita River and Foss Reservoir define the southern drainage
The strongest water feature is the Washita River, which winds across the southern part of Custer County. It approaches from the west near Foss Reservoir, passes south of the Clinton area, and continues eastward through a broad low corridor. On the shaded terrain base, the river valley appears wider and lower than many of the short tributary valleys to the north. That relationship is harder to recognize on a road-only map and becomes much clearer when water and relief are shown together.
Foss Reservoir stands out near the southwest side of the map. Its branching shoreline occupies a broad low area connected with the Washita system, while the river valley continues east from the reservoir. Sportsman Lake appears in the southeast and is much smaller. Seeing these water bodies at the same scale helps distinguish a regional reservoir from smaller local lakes and clarifies why the southwestern part of the county has a broad, irregular lowland around the water.
A dense network of named creeks descends toward the larger valleys. West Barnitz Creek, East Barnitz Creek, and Dry Creek are labeled across the western and central portions, while Horse Creek, Deer Creek, and Little Deer Creek are prominent farther northeast. Turkey Creek and Bitter Creek appear closer to the southern half. These channels are useful geographic references, but this water map is not a regulatory floodplain product, a navigation chart, or a legal riparian-boundary map.
The Canadian River only clips the northeastern corner
Unlike the Washita, the Canadian River does not cross the width of Custer County. It appears near the northeastern corner, where lower ground continues beyond the county toward neighboring areas. Its limited extent within the boundary still matters because it helps explain the drainage direction of the far northeast and the greener, lower terrain visible in that corner on the elevation map.
The western half tells a different story. There, numerous short valleys cut into higher ground and feed larger channels toward the south and east. Even where no major river name dominates, the tributary network makes the relief look finely divided. Reading the terrain shading together with the blue stream lines shows how ridges separate nearby drainage paths and why the broad Washita lowland stands out from the more dissected uplands around it.
Elevation ranges from about 442 to 621 meters
The elevation map reports an actual countywide range of roughly 442 to 621 meters, with a mean near 525 meters. Brown and dark tan colors mark higher terrain, while green colors indicate lower ground. The west and northwest contain the most extensive high areas, and elevated ridges also continue across parts of the north. Lower terrain follows the Washita River corridor, the Foss Reservoir area, and the northeastern drainage toward the Canadian River.
Around Clinton and Arapaho, broad lower areas are mixed with rolling ground, then the relief becomes more closely dissected toward the west and northwest. Weatherford lies near lower eastern terrain, while the far western side contains repeated ridge-and-valley patterns. When the elevation map is paired with the water map, channels such as West Barnitz Creek, East Barnitz Creek, and Horse Creek can be seen occupying lower corridors between the higher slopes.
This surface is generalized for county-scale comparison. The 442–621 meter range is useful for understanding regional relief, but it is not survey-grade information for a building site, drainage design, road engineering, or parcel boundary. Those tasks require the underlying USGS elevation data and, when appropriate, professional field surveying. For general map use, this layer is best for comparing uplands and lowlands and for relating river valleys to nearby towns and highways.
Arapaho remains the administrative center while Weatherford and Clinton grew larger
Custer County has a clear separation between administrative importance and city size. Arapaho remains the county seat, although the city index places Weatherford and Clinton above it in population. The Oklahoma Historical Society notes that Arapaho was designated as the seat when the county was organized in 1892 and retained that role through later county-seat contests. The map therefore makes more sense when administrative function and population are treated as different questions.
Weatherford became an important southeastern center after the railroad reached the town in 1898. Southwestern Normal School, now Southwestern Oklahoma State University, opened there in 1903, adding an educational role to the town’s agricultural and transportation functions. On the modern map, Weatherford’s built-up area sits close to I-40 and State Highway 54 near the eastern side of the county, making it a natural entry point for travelers approaching from central Oklahoma.
Clinton occupies a different geographic position. It sits near the Washita River where I-40 and U.S. 183 meet, and its early growth was tied to railroad connections. The city also preserves a strong Route 66 identity and is home to the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum. Using Clinton as a reference point makes it easy to locate Arapaho to the north, Weatherford to the east, and Foss Reservoir to the west, so it functions as one of the most useful orientation points on the map.
Choose the map that matches the question
Use the boundary and road map when the goal is to locate a town, highway, county edge, or neighboring county. It is especially effective for explaining the relationship among I-40, U.S. 183, Weatherford, Clinton, and Arapaho. The city distribution map removes much of the secondary detail and is better when the main question is how the six highlighted communities are spread across the county.
For the Washita River, Foss Reservoir, the Canadian River, and named creeks, the terrain and water map is the better choice. Shaded relief makes it possible to see that streams occupy lower corridors between ridges. The elevation map shifts the emphasis from names to height, allowing a quick comparison between the higher west and northwest and the lower river valleys in the south and northeast.
Two maps are often more useful than one. Clinton’s setting is clearest when the road map is compared with the Washita River on the water map. Foss Reservoir is easier to understand when its shoreline is viewed beside the broad low colors on the elevation map. The I-40 corridor between Clinton and Weatherford can be introduced with the road map and then placed in terrain context with the elevation layer.
Each image is deliberately simplified to remain readable at county scale. The road map is not a live traffic service, the city index is not a real-time demographic table, the water map does not define flood regulation, and the elevation map does not replace a survey. Within those limits, the set works well for printing, classroom lessons, local history, presentations, and general geographic reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Weatherford or Clinton the county seat of Custer County?
Neither. Arapaho is the county seat. Weatherford and Clinton are larger and more visually prominent on the map, but Arapaho has served as the administrative center since the county was organized in the 1890s. It is located just north of Clinton along U.S. 183.
How are Foss Reservoir and the Washita River related on the map?
Foss Reservoir is shown near the southwestern side of Custer County, and the Washita River continues eastward from the reservoir area across the southern part of the county. The terrain-and-water map shows that broad low corridor directly, while the elevation map emphasizes how much lower it is than many of the western and northern uplands.
Can the 442–621 meter elevation range be used for parcel or construction work?
No. The elevation surface is generalized for countywide geographic comparison. It is useful for identifying broad uplands, valleys, and the relationship between streams and terrain, but construction, drainage, engineering, and parcel-specific elevation work require original elevation datasets and, where appropriate, a professional survey.
Map File Information
Download the four high-resolution Custer County JPG map files in one ZIP archive.
- Included Files: Use only the versions confirmed in the article and supplied images
- File Type: Use the confirmed download contents
- Intended Use: Printing, education, presentations, and map-based projects
Related Maps
Sources and References
- Oklahoma Historical Society – Custer County
- Oklahoma Historical Society – Weatherford
- Oklahoma Historical Society – Clinton
- U.S. Census Bureau – TIGER/Line Shapefiles
- USGS – National Hydrography
- USGS – 3D Elevation Program
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data. These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
